David Stern

David Joel Stern (22 September 1942-1 January 2020) was Commissioner of the NBA from 1 February 1984 to 31 January 2014. Born in New York City, New York and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, he became a lawyer in 1966 and was hired as an outside counsel by the law firm which represented the NBA. He joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel and became its Executive Vice President in 1980 and its Commissioner in 1984, growing the league into one of the world's most prominent sports brands during the 1990s and 2000s.

Stern was also active in politics, as he was a proud donor to progressive and Democratic causes, and he accused Donald Trump's actions of attempting to "rip the fabric of the republic". He also served on the Council on Foreign Relations. On 1 January 2020, Stern died in Manhattan at the age of 77 from brain hemorrhage.